VICTORIA, Canada - A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of
7.7 hit Canada's Pacific coastal province of British Columbia late
Saturday, setting off a small tsunami, but there were no immediate
reports of injuries or damage, officials said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said an earthquake with a 7.7
magnitude had hit the province, centered 123 miles south-southwest of
Prince Rupert at a depth of 6.2 miles.
Earthquakes Canada said the quake in the Haida Gwaii region has
been followed by numerous aftershocks as large as 4.6 and said a small
tsunami has been recorded by a deep ocean pressure sensor.
"It was felt across much of north-central B.C., including Haida
Gwaii, Prince Rupert, Quesnel, and Houston. There have been no reports
of damage at this time," the agency said in a statement on its website.
- Officials with Emergency Management B.C. said in a conference call that while power supply had been hit in some areas, there was no major damage reported.
- Some communities on the Haida Gwaii islands, as well as Port Edward in the northwest of the province were being evacuated as a precaution.
- The provincial agency issued a tsunami warning for the north coast and Haida Gwaii, as well as for central coast communities like Bella Coola, Bella Bella and Shearwater.
- A tsunami advisory was also issued for the outer west coast and part of the south coast of Vancouver Island. Officials said a lower-level advisory has been declared because of potentially strong currents and waves.
- It urged residents to stay away from beaches and shorelines until further notice.
The quake was not felt in the larger cities of Victoria or Vancouver in the south, a resident in each city told Reuters.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said no destructive tsunami
was expected from the quake but the West Coast-Alaska Tsunami Warning
Center issued a warning for coastal sections of British Columbia and
Alaska.
Source: Reuters
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